 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi guys, myself and my girlfriend are taking a career break and going for an extended period of skiing in Canada. Basically I am looking for advice and any experiences that anybody has had skiing out there on where to go and wheres best, not too bothered about nightlife really. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
We are fairly advanced skiers who ski in Scotland and in France every year and looking to probably visit three or so resorts for 2+ weeks over a couple of months, living fairly frugally (not loaded but have been saving to the point of ridiculousness). Has anyone done this before?
Where would you recommend for powder, tree skiing and varied terrain?
What resorts are good for an extended period stay?
We are currently looking at going to Big White, Revelstoke and Kicking Horse (but haven't made any plans just yet).
We would be staying in hostels or renting rooms if possible.
Thank you in advance!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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you lucky sods!
I've not done it but I have done a road trip from Calgary to Revelstoke and back - we did KH, some Heliskiing and Lake Louise in 10 days not 2 months! Revelstoke didn't have lifts at the time (it was a while ago) but was the ground base for the heli company. I've skied at Whistler too on a different trip,
If I was doing it I would visit more places but for shorter stays. KH is excellent but you don't need 2 weeks there. Revelstoke sounds wonderful but I'd have thought the same applied (although Revelstoke would be a more appealing base than Golden). I think I might fly in to Calgary and hire a car (if you have the budget) and drive to Vancouver to fly back. I'd think it is possible by bus too. I'd stop in at LL (or one of its neighbours), KH, Revelstoke, Big White, Fernie? and Whistler. I'd probably go early Jan to take advantage of the quiet cheap period.
All of those places should give you a mixture of bowls, trees and steeps. Powder is of course a matter of weather but you would be unlucky not to get some good conditions. If money was no object some heli could guarantee powder but do consider a day or two of cat skiing - quite reasonable.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I'm jealous already ....
You'll find the resorts a lot smaller than the huge areas in Europe.
But its a road trip from Calgary for you, taking in Banff then up to Lake Louise ...
Through to Kicking Horse for a couple of days.
Revelstoke is a must.
And that where my experience runs out.
There are a few Canadian Locals who will pick up on your post and give you even more advice.
I was lucky enough to get offered two trips to Kicking Horse last year, and it is was brilliant not just for the skiing ....
I got to go Ice Fishing by skidoo ... absolutely wild.
You can travel on the Greyhound (They call it the Looser Cruiser there ) its cheap if you just book online a day in advance.
Get cheapest flights from Canadian Affair.
Tell us all about it when you come back.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hi jedster You must have been typing at the same time as me ... I've not been to Whistler Yet ... I'd love to go ...
Then there are these other very far away places coming into fashion such as "Red Mountain".
I got very fond of Revelstoke in the just two days I was there.
Amazing hill for just three lifts.
Same at KH
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I've done Banff (so boarded Sunshine, LL and Norquay), Revelstoke and Fernie. Wasn't so keen on Norquay, got unlucky with the snow at Revelstoke but could see the terrain looked great.
I'd say plan a trip from Jasper down to LL/Banff then highway one - KH, Revelstoke, [maybe sun peaks], Silver star, back up through Big White, Red Mountain, Fernie**, Kimberly, (maybe Castle mountain if it's good conditions?) back up towards Banff andfthen fly from Calgary.
I loved fernie, really great terrain easy to navigate and access pretty much the whole hill. In good snow it's a hoot.
I'm jealous. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Maybe smaller periods at more resorts is the way to go. Have skied at the bigger French resorts (3 valleys, Serre Chevalier, La Plagne, L'Alpe'D'Huez etc) so imagining the Canadian ones will be on a much smaller scale but with hopefully much more powder. Haven't really got any great preference as yet although we were talking about staying for a month in Big White as we know people there, maybe that will be too long on second thoughts!
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Hi blackisle,
I would not get too worked up about the PowdA ...
You may be lucky or maybe not, I hope you get some, but your more likely to get it some down in Utah.
But you'll still have a great time, the scenery between Banff & Lake Louise is just jaw dropping beautiful.
The road through from Golden to Revelstoke is supposed to to be great too ... but I only went in the dark both ways.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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There are packpackers lodges in silver star and sunpeaks. May still be worth lookind a season pass for one of the resort as that gets 25% off tickets at other resorts. The sunpeaks pass gets you 50% off a lift ticket at Whistler. Trouble is you have to pick the pass up first to show at other resort to get the discount.
Allura direct proved useful. Costco card is useful, as they sell lift tickets for some resorts. If your going to spend more time at Big White then start there get a season pass now as they are cheaper at the moment but go up to full price soon and if you buy early you can pay in 3 installments at some resorts.
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| blackisle wrote: |
...
Where would you recommend for powder, tree skiing and varied terrain?
What resorts are good for an extended period stay?
We are currently looking at going to Big White, Revelstoke and Kicking Horse (but haven't made any plans just yet). |
I'd go where the snow falls. So it varies and obviously you need to check where the best snow is and go there. You can't really go wrong.
Of the places you mentioned, Big White is a bit "family", so reminds me of Les Arcs and doesn't draw the hard-core crowd, but there's some good stuff there and it tends to last a bit because of that. It and Silver Star have some similarities (same ownership, pretty close to each other). Siver Star (Vernon) is smaller and I actually like it better maybe for that reason. If you stay "at the resort", neither are expensive and the accommodation's centrally organised. They have lots of "Piere et Vaccances" equivalent stuff. Both have "ski to the door" stuff if you want it, but Silver Star's so small that makes no real odds. There is a handful only of restaurants in each of those places. You can of course stay in the towns and that's cheaper but you have to drive up & down then. They both get a fair few "destination" people plus locals. They don't get hugely crowded. Big White has a "big white out" reputation (sometimes it gets cloudy there).
Revelstoke is much more spartan, there's not a lot of a resort, they built it late and the real estate collapse happened.... I've only ever stayed in the town there. Which is a typical one-horse BC town: railway, Greyhound drop-off point, "folk dancing" bar, ice hockey hall, and a couple of restaurants only one of which you'd be likely to go back to. So a really cool place, but not for "apres ski" type people. The hill is tiny by Euro standards but steep. Sort of like a bit of Chamonix. Except the trees go all the way up and you can ride them. So completely horrible in a bad snow year, but really good when it snows. Not much of interest to beginners/ intermediates I'd say.
Kicking Horse - Golden. I've not been since they renamed it, but I have ridden the old hill and also the back country above it which is now part of the hill. From memory Golden is bigger than Revelstoke and slightly less rustic - it's on the Trans Canadian after all. If I was going there I'd maybe drive from Calgary and bag the Banff resorts on the way, although those are tourist destination resorts, where as Golden is a real place (but not as real as Vernon or Revelstoke).
Other places as mentioned all work; Panorama, Kimberly, Fernie etc. The best places no one here mentions, but they're there if you look and they're usually empty.
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My personal approach is to hire a car and chase the snow. So last season when I was in BC it was reportedly rubbish south of Kelowna, with Silver Star/ Big White having the best conditions, and Sun Peaks being good also, so that's where I went. The wannabe "hard core" people were probably in Whistler (it didn't snow, so I didn't go), or Fernie (where it was raining), or Revelstoke (which is brutal when icy). So there was only me and the family people to deal with all the white stuff further north. These places are all a reasonable evening's drive apart and you can always get accommodation in BC, if you're flexible. I tend to stay in the towns as I'm a cheapskate and you often find the best restaurants there, but it all works. I usually switch locations after one or two days, driving somewhere else in the evening.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Cheers! Some great food for thought. Just as an idea- Would renting/ buying an RV be an idea for living in and getting to resorts or would it be too cold? Would there be places to hook up in resorts? Seems like travelling between resorts would be better and this could be an idea for accommodation.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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RV living would be possible but also potentially cold. You would need to search on campsites open in the winter. it wouldn't be my first choice!
I think the real way to save money is to think cleverly about the passes/ lift ticket deals. It may be a season pass is the way to go to obtain discounts in the other places. Early bird pass deals are really worth it and typically available until either end Sept or mid October. Most resorts offer some sort of discount cards, but I think you may need to be resident to get them. Costco does tickets to and membership is worldwide. AMA also does slightly cheap tickets. Some may offer mid-week passes.
One way drops are expensive with any rental, so I would consider a round trip from Calgary. I would save whistler for another trip from Vancouver! But maybe that's because we live in Calgary!
I would recommend maybe starting in LL , there is a nice hostel there. up to jasper, because the drive is spectacular. Then onto Sun Peaks/ Silver Star/ Big White.Then either Red/Nelson/Fernie/ Castle Or REvie/KH, Pano and Sunshine. This year is apparently Super el nino. Not sure what that means in terms of snow. But it could be not good news for southern resorts. Way too early to tell.
Mid-week, you should be able to get excellent deals on accommodation. Try allura direct, owner direct, hotels.com and groupon fro deals nearer the time. Another way to save money is to make your own lunches and take mugs and tea bags as most resorts have microwaves, boiling water taps etc.
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philwig's pretty much got it down. You either commit on a resort get a season pass and try to land a room or at least a long term motel/hostel deal or you snow chase. The latter is more expensive and you will need a car if you value time skiing and ability to stay in cheap motels. RV economics just don't work due to prohibitive rental rates etc.
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You know it makes sense.
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Though I actually did the stay in one place thing for a season or two (Whistler - there's plenty enough to do there), I'd also probably suggest the road-trip. I did a mini one a few years back. Skied in Whistler for a few days then flew from Vancouver to Kelowna then drove to Revelstoke, then on to Nelson for Whitewater, then Rossland for Red-Mountain (@DrLawn, not sure the fashionabilty of Red Mountain has changed, but it does have a new mountain opened up), then back to Kelowna, back to Vancouver.
Was pretty straightforward to book accommodation as required at pretty short notice.
Should be noted that driving conditions on all these roads can get pretty wild in the Winter - in fact I'm not sure I'd drive from Vancouver to Rossland or Nelson, even though I love skiing there - you can fly to Castlegar or Trial but that is a whole other experience!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I have a mate who used to drive his own RV up there, and there was someone on either here or another UK site who did that this last season I think.
I run the website for one of Whistler's two RV parks http://whistlerrvpark.com/ ... that plus the other one (which has had Whistler's best breakfast for the past few years) are both open year round and have serious ampage available. You don't see many RVs on the road at that time of year though, and driving a big one may be sporting I suspect. The RV parks are not in the village at Whistler, that's why they tow those 4wd vehicles behind the RV...
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Poster: A snowHead
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Think we will have to change the itinerary and buy a car from the sounds of things. Would be good to go to more resorts though I'm not sure how expensive that will get, way more exciting though. Suppose that way we could just stay in cheap motels and hostels further out.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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blackisle, Kicking Horse River Lodge has hostel rooms downstairs, complete with full cooking facilities - worth considering if heading that way.
Not too far from town and they run a shuttle to resort - well they did when we were there. Plenty of Hostels about BC too.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| Quote: |
Kicking Horse River Lodge has hostel rooms downstairs, complete with full cooking facilities
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I stayed there - pretty good.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I am in BC for a few weeks next season and have bought the Canadian Dollars already as I like the look of the GBP/CAD rate as it is (the strongest GBP has been to CAD for many years). Obviously these things work both ways (i.e. buy now and see it go even higher) but I like the certainty. Worth thinking about anyway.
I agree with the resort choices above - the only thing which makes me think Whistler is worth adding is that with a 2 month trip you may not actually want to ski every day and Vancouver is a major city which is well worth a visit. IME, Calgary is not such a draw in the ski season (too cold and bleak) and I don't know the region well enough to comment on what else could be better and within reach.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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So, after some research we are hoping to do the following but aren't really sure of travel yet (not sure of busses between resorts etc). Any help from anyone that knows the area, travelled by bus through it or has done a similar trip would be great!
We are going to go to:
-Vancouver
-Kelowna
Big White for 2 weeks skiing (we know people there) We will buy a Big White pass and use the reciprocals for other resorts.
-Kelowna
Red Mountain for 5 days skiing
-Kelowna
Silver Star for 4 days skiing
-Vernon
Revelstoke for 7 days skiing
-Kamloops
Sun Peaks for 4 days skiing
-Vancouver
Whistler for 7 days skiing
-Vancouver
It is a 9 week trip and we are planning to stay in hostels and travel by bus between towns and resorts. Total lunacy or a great idea?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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blackisle, nice, and if you are going to Red its worth a day at Whitewater 
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Sounds like an awesome trip. Are you planning on staying in Kelowna for Red Mountain? This would be impossible. It may just be a typo but Rossland would be the place to stay for Red. You should be able to get Greyhound buses between pretty much all of these places. It's a good service and not too expensive. While you're in Vancouver you could take in one of the three ski areas; Grouse, Seymour or Cypress or if you can spare a couple of days get over to Vancouver Island. It's a magical place and you could go up and ski Mount Washington or if it's a weekend, Mount Cain. Both pretty special places.
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If it was me I'd tweak the order a bit based on the likely driving routes (though if you are taking Buses/shuttles then may not be an option, assuming they exist)
Think of the circuit around...
The drive from Kelowna to Rossland can be pretty fierce, however the drive from RevelStoke to Nelson/Rossland is less so as it is all low level along a lake mostly (even on the lake for a short car ferry at one point). You probably don't want to go from Sun Peaks to Whistler on the 99 in Winter (never done it, but heard it's not great - though scenic).
Would also, as mentioned above, think about squeezing Whitewater in there (possibly staying at Nelson).
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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sounds a great trip @blackisle,
buy yourself a pickup truck and sell it when you leave.
Tell us all about it when you get home.
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| DrLawn wrote: |
buy yourself a pickup truck and sell it when you leave.
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Pick-up trucks are not the optimal snow and ice vehicle (I have one). Buy* a Subaru instead 
(* Not sure how you buy a vehicle in BC, without being a BC resident, check out ICBC website)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| stuarth wrote: |
| ... You probably don't want to go from Sun Peaks to Whistler on the 99 in Winter (never done it, but heard it's not great - though scenic).... |
The Duffy Lake Road. It's fine in a 4wd although obviously narrower and steeper. Two seasons ago it was almost bare the whole way in early January and easily passable in any vehicle. I would drive around the other way unless you're sure it's clear and you're happy with driving there generally. With your time scale you're not in a rush so postpone your driving if it's dumping hard.
For me the order would be entirely weather dependent. You may also want to look a little closer for some of the smaller hills. You'll generally find the best powder in places which aren't on the tourist trail.
Two weeks in Big White is a long time there. You'll get to visit every restaurant about three times 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@blackisle, Sounds like a great trip!
Q:"Where would you recommend for powder....?"
A: Have you considered doing any cat skiing? We've had a few cat skiing trips in Canada and it's been a guaranteed powder experience. Some companies (eg Monashee near Kelowna) offer a fantastic wilderness lodge experience and we had days of over the head powder there! Others (like K3, near Revelstoke) offer day trips. We had a great 2 days with them. There is also cat skiing (& heli!) at Revelstoke itself (but not to be confused with K3, which has an office in the town of Revelstoke but is separate from the resort cat operation) and at Red Mountain (with Big Red Cats) and both offer day trips, although we have not skied with either of them.
It's not particularly cheap but the strength of the pound against the $CA makes it a bit of a bargain and well worth every penny (& it's less than half the price of heli skiing). When we were with K3 we spoke to a couple who had made a job of it and splashed out on a day skiing and a day heli skiing! Revelstoke is, I think, the only resort in the world offering lift-served skiing, cat skiing and heli.
The cat skiing experience would almost certainly add to what already sounds like a trip of a lifetime!
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That's how Revelstoke is marketed, but it's mostly marketing. The resort owns three types of access, but there are lots of other resorts who lifts, cats and heli too. My mates run http://powdermountaincatskiing.com/ running both cats and heli out of Whistler for example.
Generally for day-based trips I think cats make the most sense. You can usually book that "the day before", although peak periods (eg Xmas/ new year weeks) are starting to fill up now. Check the cancellation policy, but Powder Mountain lets you cancel for no charge at any time more than 24 hours in advance, so booking ahead isn't a risk in that specific case.
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You know it makes sense.
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| blackisle wrote: |
So, after some research we are hoping to do the following but aren't really sure of travel yet (not sure of busses between resorts etc). Any help from anyone that knows the area, travelled by bus through it or has done a similar trip would be great!
We are going to go to:
-Vancouver
-Kelowna
Big White for 2 weeks skiing (we know people there) We will buy a Big White pass and use the reciprocals for other resorts.
-Kelowna
Red Mountain for 5 days skiing
-Kelowna
Silver Star for 4 days skiing
-Vernon
Revelstoke for 7 days skiing
-Kamloops
Sun Peaks for 4 days skiing
-Vancouver
Whistler for 7 days skiing
-Vancouver
It is a 9 week trip and we are planning to stay in hostels and travel by bus between towns and resorts. Total lunacy or a great idea? |
Looks great. I wouldn't plan anything concrete and follow the great advice of following the snow. Putting Whistler last may not be the best idea, for example. When it snows it's the best resort in the world in my opinion but it can rain quite high up the mountain, particularly in March/April.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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We are going to book hostels for these places and then if the snow is rubbish we will change plans. Just worried that they will all get booked up and we won't have anywhere to stay that won't use all of our (fairly frugal) budget. Will hopefully squeeze at least one day of cat skiing in all being well.
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Poster: A snowHead
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We're all very jealous of your trip @blackisle
I'd take notice of the plenty of good advice.
I think "follow the snow" is particularly good.
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FAQ
driving well over 1500 miles too IIRC.
